800-861-7414

To add to my previous post...I think B4P's flooding the internet with phony websites and blog posts singing their praises.  I encountered tons of them in my Googling.  Must be what their "customer service representatives" do all day instead of answering incoming calls from irate scammees.

I rec'd the same charges on my daughter's number - Verizon said they couldn't do anything so I called the 800-861-7414 and they said they would send me a refund.  Ridiculous!  I don't know why Verizon is accepting 3rd party charges without written consent!

I got one to, it's from a website, they say I signed up but I didn't ask for a $10 text message, I remember that much! bid4prz3.com

I had the same problem and have been on the phone all day with "Bid4prizes" and Verizon. The lady at Bid4prizes told me I opened a photobucket account and then they sent me a text message & I confirmed by sending one back.  I NEVER did any such thing! I told Verizon to put a block on my phone & I want no text messaging at all - we'll see how that goes. In the mean time I have contacted an attorney. They only took $40 bucks, but its the principle-they stole from me! Also I have a friend that works for the State's District Attorney's Office. I am contacting them to file a complaint & see about having a Ceast and Desist order. Also, you can file a complaint with the National White Collar Crime Center. http://www.ic3.gov/
I'm fighting it all the way!

Same thing has happened to me... "PREM_SMS 81000 Bid4Prz3 9.99 8008617414"  I just caught wind of this and went back and checked my detail statements on line with Verizon.. and yep.. been billed this $9.99 charge for the last 3-4 months... So now... does anyone have a post to get to the root of the problem and stop this... it sounds like to me that Verizon must be in on it to reap the rewards in their pro-rated portion of the proceeds... I will be at Verizon's office in the morning.... any help would be appreciated... Ths...

Called them and they said it was from something I did. I did not sign up for anything on my cell phone. I told them there company was a scam he told me to have a nice day, What a Joke.

I called Verizon for the second time and they reversed the charges as a service to me. I do believe they are not behind this but who knows. Verizon was very friendly and helpful. I also filed a report from the link above to the state of California. When calling Verizon do what someone stated above and let them know it was an unauthorized charge.

Alex

I have Sprint as my service provider and I called them this morning and asked what this 9.99 charge was from Bid4Priz.com, because I don't give out my cell number for anything on the internet. They gave me a phone # of 1-800-861-7414 and a email address of sprintcare@buongiorno.com (and no thats not a typo) that is some European media company. I called the number and was able to cancel over the phone and seconds later I received a text on my phone confirming the cancellation. It said "YOUR SUBSCRIPTION TO THE LOW BID AUCTION GAME HAS BEEN STOPPED. YOU WILL RECEIVE NO FURTHER MESSAGES FROM THIS PROGRAM. THANK YOU. 800-861-7414". But I still don't know how to get a refund for the money I have been charged for the past few months.

I noticed that everyone has Verizon. I don't..... I have Sprint and the same thing happened to me. I received a few text msg saying I won something but i would NEVER respond, then I get a 9.99 charge on my bill and I ignored the first one but when it happened again on the next bill thats when I started to investigate.

Update: I called Verizon and they deleted the charges right away. The woman that I spoke to said that they had been receiving a lot of phone cal;ls regarding this problem. SHe also instrcuted me to reply to the number "unsub" to black them from doing it again, at least from that number.

The number to call the company is listed on the information line for the charge on your verizon cell phone bill, so is the 5 digit text phone number. But as I mentioned I was on hold for 20 minutes and then disconnected THREE times. I called the number listed in a post here (Phone: 949.777.3700) and the receptionist told me that I had to call the 800 number ... but by that time I had the charges deleted from my phone bill, so I wasn't motivated enough to pressure her.

I, too, got a fraudulant charge from Bid4prz3.  I NEVER subscribed to this nor have I ever entered a contest or signed up to be a part of this.  I am contacting Verizon right away to get these charges reversed.  WISH ME LUCK!!

Put your cell phone, and especially your child's phone on the Do Not Call list:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/donotcall/businfo.html  

If one of these text messages comes to you unsolicited, file a complaint with the FCC online at https://esupport.fcc.gov/form1088/consumer.do 

If you have a complaint about this scam in California contact the California Public Utilities Commission online at http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/static/forms/complaints/filecomplaint.htm 

It seems to me that the wireless companies should be able to block "Premium Text Messaging" just like the phone companies are required to offer 900-number blocks.  Why does the FCC mandated the one and not the other?  Contact scott.marshall@fcc.gov According to their website  ___, he is the contact person for the FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee.  According to their website, the committee's purpose is to "keep consumers in the picture" at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/cac/  Let them know that you want wireless companies to be mandated to allow consumers to block these ripoff "Premium Text Messaging" services.

Also write/call to your Federal Congressperson to pressure the FCC to do something about these scams.  In California, write/call your State Congressperson to pressure the California Public Utilities Commission to regulate these slimeballs!  If you're outside of California, pressure your state leaders to make your Utility Commission (or whatever you have) look out for you instead of these crooks.

I was just looking at previous posts.  Thanks Mad Mad Vicki for the link to the California Attorney General's Office www.ag.ca.gov/consumers/mailform.htm I'm going to file a complaint there too.  Not just against Bid4Prizes.com, but also against Verizon.  There is no way that they should be allowing any of these ripoff companies to use them as a collection agent.  If they're making a profit off of this, then they should be considered accomplices to this fraud!  Do you think Verizon is making any money off of this?  Me too.

I just found this tonight, and it dates back 7 months on my wife's VZW bill!  $80!!!

I called and canceled the service once VZW gave me the details, but after reading this, i decided to call back and get the charges reversed.  VZW was NOT very helpful and kept saying "its a 3rd party".  I asked if they were presented records from the 3rd party that show I asked to be signed up and billed for that service.  She was dead silent and didnt know what to day.

I am arguing to get the funds credited back.  Waiting on the manager to get on the line.

They are saying "You were notified of the charges and paid for it"  I have automatic billing to my checking account!  I dont read the damn monthly statements most of the time.  Its really a scam.

Class Action lawsuit anyone!?

Follow up from above post:

The customer service rep from  VZW only gave me a $20 credit.  :(

I told them that I want to see validation of the exact date/time that my wife Txt messaged the 81000 service.  They said they will have tech support dig that up.  (BS!  Where the the audit trail here!)

The story also changed about 10 times on the phone.  First it was a website that we allegedly used.  Finally they insisted the initial signup was direct from my wife's phone (hence the reason why I am asking for the exact date/time this occured and I am insisting to see the audit trail to approve the charges)

Premium text message costing $9.99.

Bill shows:  PREM_SMS 81000 Bid4Prz3 9.99 8008617414

Received premium txt message on 10/11/2007.  Description:  Prem_SMS 81000 Bid4Prz3 9.99 8008617414.

I never signed up for this semester via text message nor on the web.

i also received a bogus charge from this co.  i called verizion & they removed it from my bill.  i just got another bill with the same charge.  i just called the 800# they told me it was cancelled.  the verizion rep had sent them a message for me. we'll see.

I also got the same charge. I called the number and when I argued with the girl about the charges she hung up on me. Nice place huh? Her name was Ashley and although she cannot tell me how I got signed up for this service she insists that I owe the fees. I'm also looking in to legal action. This sin't right.

I called the number to question the subscription that I was being charged for. They stated that I subscribed via text message with a code number or something. I told them there is no record of me sending or confirming any text messages from them. They refused to refund me for both months that they charged me. I asked them to tell me how the account was activated and they couldn't tell me that. They didn't know. I told them that if I didn't subscribe they couldn't charge me and she hung up on me.